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Mesa Verde National Park Programs for Visiting Families


Did You Know?

Long House is the second-largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park.

Located at the end of a long, winding road, it is separate from most of the other major park attractions.

Only 15 percent of the park's visitors take the time to see it.




Photo: Mesa Verde's Interpretive Rangers take visitors on
informative hikes through ancient archaeological sites.

Programs and activities at Mesa Verde are so abundant that it is a good idea to print their schedule of offerings from their website before you go.


Guided Tours

Several of the cliff dwellings and other archeological sites are serviced by guided tours. You have to buy tickets for most of the tours, but some are free, depending on the time of year. Purchase tickets at the Far View Visitor center.


Shuttle Bus Tours

The park service offers a tram ride at the end of Wetherill Mesa where you can take a guided ranger walk of Long House. The tram also passes many Ancestral Puebloan mesa-top sites.

The park concessionaire, ARAMARK, offers all-day and half-day bus tours. Ranger guides describe such features as the Mesa Top Loop Road, Cliff Palace, the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum, Spruce Tree House, and Balcony House. The full day tour includes a box lunch.


Self-guided Tours

Step House on Wetherill Mesa and the Far View Ruins, including Mummy Lake are among the self guided tours you can take. Nordenskiold Site Number 16 has a booklet about native plants and their uses, but the area was burned in 2000 and so is exposed to unrelieved sunshine. The Mesa Top Loop roadway also has a booklet, which can be purchased at the museum.


Museum

Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum
Every half-hour a video plays in the auditorium, and there are exhibits helping visitors understand the timeline of Ancestral Puebloan culture. The museum also houses a truly impressive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts.


Summer Lecture Series

The Park Service holds a summer lecture series, celebrating Native American culture, every year. Check the website and at the museum desk for information. Look for the posters around the park and local towns.


Campfire Talks

Evening Campfire Talks at the Morefield Campground are conducted from the end of Memorial Day through the Labor Day every night from 9 to 10pm.


Multi-media Programs

Multi-media Programs are held occasionally by ARAMARK in the auditorium at the Far View Lodge.


Next Page >>> Picnic Areas and Restaurants in Mesa Verde



Mesa Verde National Park Travel Guide For Families:

BEST FAMILY ATTRACTIONS IN MESA VERDE

RANGER PROGRAMS FOR KIDS IN MESA VERDE

PICNIC AREAS AND RESTAURANTS IN MESA VERDE

CAMPGROUNDS AND LODGING IN MESA VERDE

TOWNS NEAR MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

MESA VERDE QUICK GEOLOGY GUIDE

MESA VERDE QUICK WILDLIFE GUIDE

MESA VERDE QUICK HISTORY GUIDE

TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FAMILIES IN MESA VERDE





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